03/07/07 Wolf hearing; releasing pygmy rabbits

Washington Ag March 7, 2007 The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is holding a public meeting and hearing in Spokane Valley this Thursday on its proposal to delist the Rocky Mountain distinct population of gray wolves. Among the areas covered by that distinct population is the eastern one-third of Washington and Oregon and all of Idaho. The Spokane meeting on March 8th will be at the Oxford Inns and Suites at 15015 East Indiana, Spokane Valley. U.S. Fish and Wildlife spokesman Tom Buckley says the meeting is in two parts. Buckley: "So the question and answer will be from 3 to 5 and from six to eight it is simply an opportunity for people to give us their comments for the record." Buckley says it will probably be the late 2007 or early 2008 before a final decision on delisting is made. Meanwhile on another species, Buckley says next Tuesday state and federal officials will be reintroducing about two dozen pygmy rabbits into their native habitat in north-central Washington. The Columbia Basin stock had to be crossbred with Idaho pygmy rabbits in captivity. Buckley: "The ones that are a minimum of 75% pure Columbia Basin pygmy rabbit but they do contain all of the special genes that were identified in the 100% Columbia Basin pygmy rabbits so we haven't lost that gene pool." The rabbits will be released on a state wildlife area in Douglas County. I'm Bob Hoff.